Blended fiber rope



3,016,683 BLENDED FIBER Rflifii'l James S. Simpson, Auburn, N.Y., assignor to tlolnmbian $0136 Company, Auburn, N.Y., a corporation of New orit No Drawing. Filed Oct. 1, i958, Ser. No. 764,526 6 Claims. (Cl. 57--140) This invention relates to rope composed of blends of fibers having dilferent characteristics, and more particularly to a rope especially adapted for use in environments wherein the rope is exposed to water, severe abrasion and frictional wear.

The rope of the present application is especially adapted for use as a purse line employed to close the bottom edge of seines employed in commercial fishing. In the net closing operation, the purse line is tightened by wrapping several turns of the line around a tapered head on a power driven winch which supplies the traction. The rope is thus subjected to severe abrasion and wear and requires frequent replacement, since the failure of the purse line would release fish trapped in the net. In the usual case, the purse line is made from either tarred Italian hemp or manila.

In an attempt to improve the resistance of the purse line to the severe abrasion and wear which it encounters, efforts have been made to substitute synthetic fibers for the conventional manila or hemp. In general, synthetic fibers have relatively high resistance to abrasion, adequate strength and good flexibility when wet. When heavy pressure is applied on a winch hauling in the syn thetic rope, suflicient heat is generated as the rope passes around the winch head to melt or fuse the synthetic fibers at the exterior surface of the rope. This results in the production of a glazed outer surface on the rope which renders it unsuitable for further use.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a rope combining the relatively high strength, flexibility and abrasive resistance characteristics of synthetic fibers, but which is not subject to fusing or glazing upon the application of heat as from friction.

In the achievement of the foregoing, and other objects, a rope embodying the present invention is made from yarns of blended synthetic and vegetable fibers homogeneously distributed throughout the yarn. The individual yarns are made up over soft fiber preparing machinery such as that which is used commercially for the preparing of such fibers as jute, hemp and flax. The yarns are subsequently made into strands and the strands laid in a rope according to conventional rope making practice.

The rope composed of an homogeneously distributed blend of synthetic and vegetable fibers possesses satisfactory resistance to melting and fusing upon the application of frictional heat resulting from the use of a power winch. In the specific application of the rope as a purse line, the homogeneously distributed vegetable and synthetic fibers apparently cooperate in two ways to prevent the melting and fusing of the synthetic fibers. First, the exposed surface of the rope is not a complete surface of synthetic fibers, the homogeneous distribution of the blend tending to separate the synthetic fibers on the surface by locating vegetable fibers between them. Thus, melting of a given synthetic fiber is not productive of a complete fusing since the fusing is confined only to those synthetic fibers which are in contact with each other.

In addition, the relatively high moisture retentivity characteristics of vegetable fibers is such that water which has soaked into the vegetable fibers provides a lubricating and cooling function which tends to reduce and dissipate the frictional heat generated on the surface of the rope.

States atent The synthetic fiber is preferably selected from the group of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers such as superpolymeric amides known as nylon, polyester fibers known as Dacron, or polymers of acrylonitrile known as Orion. As a general rule, these fibers possess relatively high strength, are exceedingly flexible when wet, and possess a relatively high resistance to abrasion. Because of their relatively low temperature stability char acteristics, a rope constructed entirely of these fibers would tend to glaze and fuse upon the application of heat, as by friction. In addition, these fibers possess a relatively low water or moisture absorption or retentivity characteristic.

Suitable vegetable fibers are preferably selected on the basis of their water retentivity characteristic. Examples of such vegetable fibers are hemp, jute, cotton and flax.

In blending the synthetic and vegetable fibers, it has been found desirable to make the blend in a proportion including at least 30% vegetable fibers. Rope having less than 30% vegetable fibers lowers the water or moisture retentivity characteristics of the rope as a whole to a point where satsifactory lubrication and cooling cannot be achieved. Thus, a blend of at least 30% vegetable fibers is advisable. To achieve a practical increase of strength due to the employment of synthetic fibers in the rope, it is necessary to make the blend of a proportion of at least synthetic fibers. v

In practice, a specific rope constructed from a blend of stapled nylon and 40% Belgian flax has been found to be extremely satisfactory for use in purse line applications. Life of such a purse line has exceeded by several times the life of conventional vegetable fiber lines and has not been subject to the disadvantages of synthetic lines.

While I have described and illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to be restricted solely thereto, but that i do intend to cover all modifications thereof which would be apparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A rope composed of an homogeneously distributed blend of synthetic fibers and vegetable fibers in the proportion of 60% synthetic fibers to 40% vegetable fibers.

2. A rope composed of an homogeneously distributed blend of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers, and vegetable fibers in the proportion of 60% synthetic fibers to 40% vegetable fibers.

3. A rope composed of an homogeneously distributed blend of fibers consisting of 60% nylon fibers and 40% flax fibers.

4. A rope as defined in claim 1 in which the synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of nylon, Dacron, and Orlon and the vegetable fibers are selected from the group consisting of hemp, jute, cotton, and flax.

5. A rope as defined in claim 1 in which the synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of superpolymeric amides, polyester fibers, and polymers of acrylonitrile.

6. A rope composed of an homogeneously distributed blend of (a) at least 50% synthetic resin fibers having low temperature stability characteristics and (b) at least 30% vegetable fibers having relatively high moisture retentivity characteristics, said synthetic fibers predominatmg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

6. A ROPE COMPOSED OF AN HOMOGENEOUSLY DISTRIBUTED BLEND OF (A) AT LEAST 50% SYNTHETIC RESIN FIBERS HAVING LOW TEMPERATURE STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS AND (B) AT LEAST 30% VEGETABLE FIBERS HAVING RELATIVELY HIGH MOISTURE RETENTIVITY CHARACTERISTICS, SAID SYNTHETIC FIBERS PREDOMINATING. 